Social Emotional Development in Young Children With Cancer

Get Involved

Social Emotional Development in Young Children With Cancer

Study Purpose

Many children with cancer are diagnosed in early childhood, and as such, will likely miss key social experiences such as participation in preschool or kindergarten, playing on playgrounds, and other normative experiences. In typically-developing children, it is known that these experiences

- and the skills that are learned during them - are critical to later well-being.

Very little is known about the psychological functioning of young children with cancer, as studies have predominantly focused on those who are older (at least 8 years of age). This study will explicitly assess social functioning in preschool-aged children with cancer and follow the development of their social functioning from the end of treatment into survivorship. The goals of this pilot study are to begin to assess the impact of missed early childhood social experiences, as well as the interaction with developing neurocognitive problems. PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Explore the impact of cancer in the central nervous system on social functioning of young children (ages 4-6) after completion of therapy.

Recruitment Criteria

Accepts Healthy Volunteers Healthy volunteers are participants who do not have a disease or condition, or related conditions or symptoms	No
Study Type An interventional clinical study is where participants are assigned to receive one or more interventions (or no intervention) so that researchers can evaluate the effects of the interventions on biomedical or health-related outcomes. An observational clinical study is where participants identified as belonging to study groups are assessed for biomedical or health outcomes. Searching Both is inclusive of interventional and observational studies.	Observational
Eligible Ages	4 Years - 6 Years
Gender	All

More Inclusion & Exclusion Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

- Primary Diagnosis of a brain or non-CNS solid tumor.

- Between 4 and 6 years of age at enrollment.

- Between 6 and 12 months post-therapy at the time of enrollment.

- Treatment plan included chemotherapy.

- English speaking.

- Cognitive and language capacity to complete measures.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Diagnosis of a genetic disorder/pre-existing neurodevelopmental condition associated with neurocognitive or social impairment (e.g., autism, Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1), Down syndrome) - Solid tumor patients who required CNS-directed therapy (e.g., radiation, intrathecal chemotherapy) - Inability or unwillingness of research participant or legal guardian/representative to give written informed consent.

Trial Details

Trial ID: This trial id was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, providing information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies of human participants with locations in all 50 States and in 196 countries.	NCT03086421
Phase Phase 1: Studies that emphasize safety and how the drug is metabolized and excreted in humans. Phase 2: Studies that gather preliminary data on effectiveness (whether the drug works in people who have a certain disease or condition) and additional safety data. Phase 3: Studies that gather more information about safety and effectiveness by studying different populations and different dosages and by using the drug in combination with other drugs. Phase 4: Studies occurring after FDA has approved a drug for marketing, efficacy, or optimal use.
Lead Sponsor The sponsor is the organization or person who oversees the clinical study and is responsible for analyzing the study data.	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Principal Investigator The person who is responsible for the scientific and technical direction of the entire clinical study.	Heather Conklin, PhD
Principal Investigator Affiliation	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Agency Class Category of organization(s) involved as sponsor (and collaborator) supporting the trial.	Other
Overall Status	Active, not recruiting
Countries	United States
Conditions The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied.	Solid Tumor, Childhood, Brain Tumor, Pediatric
Study Website:	View Trial Website

Additional Details

Participants will be evaluated using the same or similar questionnaires at two time points. The first assessment will take place when they are 6-12 months post the end of treatment. Participants and their parents/legal guardian will complete an assessment of social and cognitive functioning by completing questionnaires about social, emotional, behavioral, and executive functioning. If the study participant agrees, they will identify another adult (that is, teacher or daycare employee) who may be contacted to complete questionnaires about the participant's social and behavioral functioning. A follow-up study visit will occur about two years later.

Arms & Interventions

Arms

: Brain Tumor Participants

Participants with a diagnosis of brain tumor who are between the ages of 4 and 6 years old and are 6 to 12 months post-completion of treatment. They will complete several standard questionnaires.

: Solid Tumor Participants

Participants with a diagnosis of non-Central Nervous System (non-CNS) solid tumor who are between the ages of 4 and 6 years old and are 6 to 12 months post-completion of treatment. They will complete several standard questionnaires.

Interventions

Behavioral: - Questionnaires

Participants, their parent/legal guardian, and if consented to another adult caregiver will be asked to complete several questionnaires evaluating the participant's social cognitive skills, social experience, neurocognitive functioning, and neurocognitive skills.

Contact a Trial Team

If you are interested in learning more about this trial, find the trial site nearest to your location and contact the site coordinator via email or phone. We also strongly recommend that you consult with your healthcare provider about the trials that may interest you and refer to our terms of service below.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee

Status

Address

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Memphis, Tennessee, 38105